Andrea J. Martin

Assistant Professor of Law

Andrea J. Martin is an assistant professor of law and recipient of the Penn State Dickinson Law Phillip M. Scott Teaching Excellence Award. Her research draws on constitutional and legal history to explore and analyze current social justice issues including American Indian sovereignty rights, antiracism in education, and voter suppression.

Prior to joining Dickinson Law, Martin spent twelve years as a strategic legal advisor, managing business and regulatory legal affairs at a multi-billion-dollar company. She gained diverse experience in general corporate matters and regulatory compliance, providing astute counsel and employing a pragmatic approach to law and the needs of the business. Professor Martin also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Appellate Division of the Rhode Island Department of Attorney of General, drafting appellate briefs and presenting compelling arguments before the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

She is actively involved in diversity and inclusion efforts and served on the Governor’s Task Force on Diversity, the Governor’s Commission on Prejudice and Bias, and the Thurgood Marshall Lawyer’s Society. She has also taught legal writing in the CLEO (Council on Legal Education Opportunity) program to increase the number of lawyers from diverse backgrounds and served as a chairperson for the 17th Annual Lutie A. Lytle Black Women Law Faculty Workshop and Retreat. Professor Martin has served on the boards of many nonprofit and community development organizations including the YMCA, Caritas House and Pink Out, Inc., and is currently a member of the Penn State Hillel Board of Directors.

As part of Professor Martin's community service, she partners with local organizations and associations, including the Dauphin County Bar Association, to provide professional guidance and share practical knowledge during the critical transition from law student to legal practitioner. Her goals are to support new attorneys, strengthen our community, and elevate standards of competence, ethics, and professionalism in the legal field.

Professor Martin received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law, M.B.A. from Suffolk University, and B.A. in History from the University of Rhode Island. Her interests and hobbies include art history, Holocaust studies, and writing.

Select Publications by Professor Martin

“Beyond Brackeen: Active Efforts Toward Antiracist Child Welfare Policy,” Forthcoming, to be published in Yale Law & Policy Review

“Empowering Law Students to Be Antiracist: A Student-Centered, Problem-Based Learning Approach,” Forthcoming, to be published as a book chapter in the Antiracist Curriculum Development volume of the Building an Antiracist Law School, Legal Academy, and Legal Profession book series.